110 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[July, 



the first week in Juue. He heard them frequently 

 during the month, but only succeeded in taking one 

 specimen. He thinks he must have destroyed the 

 larger portion of the brood, in digging the founda- 

 tion of his green-house last autumn. 



For a brief history of this adnormal brood in this 

 locality, the reader is referred to a paper read before 

 the "Lancaster Microscopical Society" in April last, 

 and published in the April nunaber of the Lancas- 

 ter Fakmer, pp. 51—53, by S. S. R. 

 Additions to Library. 



Proceedings of the American Philosophical Asso- 

 ciation, from January to June, 1881, cdutainiug a 

 Memoir of the late Prof. Haldeman. 



Nos. 21, 2'2, 2.3, 24, Vol. 9, of the Official Patent 

 Office Gazette. 



An octavo pamphlet containing the inaugural ad- 

 dress of Hon. W. G. Rich, President of the Histori- 

 cal Society of New Mexico ; also containing the 

 Cliarter, Constitution and By-Laws, with the com- 

 pliments of the society, through David J. Miller, 

 Corresponding Secretary. 



Fifty Tears Freedom in Belgium, &c., from the 

 Bureau of Education, Department of the Interior. 



The Lancaster Farmer for June, 1881. 



Two large catalogues of Foreign and American 

 Scientific and Historical publications. 



Sundry circulars and book notices. 

 Historical 



Three envelopes containing forty Historical and 

 Biographical selections, S.S. K. 



New Business. 



Bills amounting to $9.56 were reported by Treas- 

 urer and Librarian, which, on motion, were ordered 

 to be paid. 



Wm. L. Gill, a former withdrawn member, was 

 proposed for membership under the new rule adopted 

 at the last April meeting, and will be balloted for at 

 the July meeting. 



Dr. M. L. Davis submitted the following: 



liesolved, That a Standing Committee be appointed , 

 consisting of three members, whose duty it shall be 

 to devise means to raise funds to place the Society 

 upon an independent basis. 



Retolved, That this committee shall report from 

 time to time,- any and all Jplans and suggestions that 

 may be entertained or adopted for the approval of 

 the members of the Society. ■ 



Laid over to the July meeting for further action. 



The meeting was email but interesting, and after 

 the usual "Science Gossip," adjourned to Saturday, 

 the 30th of July. 



Agriculture. 



Soils 



Are improved by mixing. The physical properties 

 of the soil have an important influence upon its 

 average fertility. The admixture of pure sand with 

 clay soil produces an alteration which is often bene- 

 ficial, and which is almost wholly physical. The 

 sand opens the pores of the clay and makes it more 

 peimeable to the air. 



The Agricultural Circle. 

 The average farmer toils hard, early and late, 

 often depriving himself of needed rest and sleep— 

 for what? To raise corn. For what? To feed hogs. 

 For what? To get money to buy more land. For 

 what? To raise more corn. For what? To feed 

 more hogs. For what? To buy more land. And 

 what does he want with more land ? Why, he wishes 

 to raise more corn — to feed more hogs — to buy more 

 land — to raise more corn— to feed more hogs — to buy 

 more land — and in this circle he moves until the 

 Almighty stops his hoggish proceedings. 



Fertilizers in Pennsylvania. 



The chemist of the state board of agriculture has 

 been busily at work analyzing the various kinds of 

 fertilizers offered for sale in Pennsylvania, in accor- 

 dance with the law on the subject. In addition to 

 those already announced, the secretary of the state 

 board publishes the result of fifty-eight other analy- 

 ses, making the entire number thus far submitted to 



this test. one hundred and twenty-one. Out of the 

 last batch analyzed, only seventeen out of the fifty- 

 eight were found to be worth the money asked for 

 them. One kind which is sold at $15, was found to 

 be worth only $2.05 ; and another sample sold at ?14 

 was worth $5.71. Most of the kinds fell far below 

 what their manufacturers claim them to be worth. 

 These facts explain why the results fi-om the use of 

 fertilizers have been disappointing and unsatisfactory 

 to farmers. Many are good, worth all that is asked 

 for them, but far the largest number are deceptive, 

 and the farmer who buysthem'is cheated. Secre- 

 tary Edge, who was so active in having the present 

 law providing for the analyzatlou of all the artifical 

 fertilizers oflered for sale in the state passed, de- 

 serves much credit for having this shield thrown 

 around the agricultural community. If a farmer is 

 now deceived and cheated in the purchase of artifi- 

 cial manure, he has only himself to blame. 



A Word for the Potato Crop. 



F. T. Burnham, of Manchester, Mass., makes 

 the following statement of his potato crop, entered 

 for premium with the Essex Agricultural Society 

 last year : The land used for this crop previous to 

 ISSO was in grass, and had not been plowed for six- 

 teen years. In November, 1879, the land was plowed. 

 In April, 1880, stable manure was used at the rate of 

 about seven cords to the acre, and was thoroughly 

 harrowed in. The last week in April the land was 

 furrowed out in drills, three and a half feet apart, 

 about three inches deep. The seed used was the 

 Early Rose, large size, cut with three to five eyes 

 in each piece, and dropped about sixteen inches 

 apart. The land is rather low and flat; soil, a dark 

 loam; area planted, one-half acre and eighteen 

 square rods ; finished digging and housing potatoes 

 September 15. The crop amounted to 216 bushels. 

 The cost of the crop was as follows: Seed, nine 

 bushels large potatoes, $5.40 ; plowing, harrowing 

 and fun-owing one day, $4.00 ; planting and hoeing 

 eight days, $10 ; manure, 414' cords, $30; teaming 

 and spreading manure, $4.00 ; harvesting six days, 

 $7. .50; total cost, $60.90. Value of the crop as fol- 

 lows : 189 bushels merchantable potatoes at 75 

 cents, $141.75 ; also 27 bushels small potatoes at 30 

 cents, $8.10 ; 'total receipts, $149.85. Deducting 

 cost shows a net profit oC$88.95.— e«»-ma»i<u«i;i Tel. 



What About Liquid Manure? 

 It has not been many years since that there was 

 quite a furore about the use of liquid manures as a 

 fertilizer ; and this was quite sensibly added to by 

 the statements made of it by the celebrated "Lon- 

 don farmer," Alderman Mechi, who even went so far 

 as to invent an apparatus to haul it in and sprinkle 

 it over his land. We all remember— or should re- 

 member — how he "went on" about it. It was the 

 best way to apply manure. There were the crops; 

 here were the figures. There could be no doubt 

 about it. It was no waste to manure to have the 

 best of its matter washed out of it, if only the liquid 

 waste could be collected in tanks, and pumped into 

 liquid manure-carts and hauled over the ground ; or 

 even pumped back again to the manure-heap from 

 which it had been washed— and so on and so on. 

 The subject was taken up in this country, and a great 

 deal was written about it and discussed at farmers' 

 clubs, &c. Few had any experience. They wrote 

 about it and recommended it simply because the 

 matter had been taken up so resolutely in England,, 

 and vouched for by what was at the time considered 

 the highest authority. But it turned out to be all 

 fallacious ; in the first place, because no good far- 

 mer, in places where manure is valuable, cares to 

 have his manure washed in this way, but builds a 

 roof and covers it from rain : and in the next place 

 it does not pay to build cisterns, invest In pumps, and 

 buy broad-wheeled carts for the sake of distributing 

 a few gallons of liquid-manure. Water is heavy to 

 carry ; and the hauling of a gallon for the sake of a 

 teaspoonful of nutritions matter, is an absurdity few 

 American farmers would be guilty of. But it was 

 said there were the figures. So there were as to 



actual products ; but this is not the way to calculate 

 farm products. That a piece of land watered with 

 liquid manure will yield more than a piece manured 

 in tire regular way, may be all true enough ; but if it 

 cost treble for double the profit, it had better be let 

 alone. In fact, the liquid manure idea as an element 

 in profitable farming seems to have departed here: 

 We seldom see the old-time articles now. Even in 

 England it seems to be on its last legs. The whole 

 paiaphernslia of tanks, water-carts, and-so-forth, 

 says the London Agricultural Oazette, are the mere 

 toys of farming; and so said we, long, long ago.— 

 Germantown Telegraph. 



Horticulture. 



The Exportation of Dried Apples. 



Within a few years the exportation of dried apples 

 from this country to France has enormously In- 

 creased., It is now said that a considerable part of 

 this useful product comes back in the form of Nor- 

 mandy cider and light claret. Late frosts are re- 

 ported to have injured the French ^pple crop, and of 

 course this country will be expected to supply the 

 deficiency, in accordance with its usual custom of 

 providing for the world's wants. 



Food for Roses. 



Get some soot from a chimney or stove where 

 wood is used for fuel, put it in an old pitcher and 

 pour hot water upon it. When cool use it to water 

 your plants every few days. When it is all used fill 

 up the pitcher again with hot water. The efiect 

 upon roses that have almost hopelessly deteriorated 

 is wonderful in producing a rapid growth of thrifty 

 shoots, with large thick leaves and a great number 

 of richly tinted roses. Never despair of a decayed 

 rosebush until this has been tried. 



Summer Pruning. 



It mav be said briefly that all summer pruning, 

 cutting back, root pruning, or any other practice 

 that strikes at the life of the tree, or retards its 

 growth in summer, tends to the formation of fruit 

 buds. Among these are bending down or gently 

 breaking the branches, hanging weights on them, 

 tying them down to stakes, slightly barking the tree 

 or branches in June, etc. But it must be borne in 

 mind that all such cheeking or pruning should be 

 done carefully and judiciously, to balance or check 

 the force of the tree and retard its wood growth, if 

 the tree is large enough to bear and fruit is desired. 



Rhubarb. 



This is the earliest erarden product for the table, 

 coming even before asparagus generally, and is best 

 when the growth is youngest. As it is as easy to 

 raise as anything can be, no garden, however limited 

 should be without it. Fresh beds may be set out, 

 and in doing so the root must be used with a small 

 bit of the crown. This will afi'ord a crop the ensuing 

 year. In planting the seed it will require a year 

 longer. A well-prepared bed will last for many 

 .years, by being covered with manure late in the 

 autumn and forking it in the spring. The stalks are 

 tenderer by removing the seed -sprouts as fast as they 

 make their appearance, and the roots are stronger: 



Planting Large Pear Trees. 



At the late meeting of the New Jersey Horticultu- 

 ral Society, the question was handed in: "Should a 

 person, planting 500standard Bartlett pear trees, buy 

 three-year trees, if he could get six-year trees of vig- 

 orous growth, well cut back ?" H. E. Hooker, who 

 was present, thought it would be diflicult to obtain 

 such trees, and the expression was generally adverse 

 to such a course. As the Bartlett is a very early 

 bearer, and the large trees would be likely to meet 

 with much check by transplanting, it is probable 

 that after a few years, well transplanted and man- 

 aged two or three-year trees would probably be the 

 larger in size, more productive and, on account of 

 being better growers, -would give the finest epeci 



